Tips and Strategies on Playing Halo 3

I do not consider myself "MLG" (Major-League-Gamer) or whatever stupid self-given title people claim they are. But I do consider myself a veteran of the Halo series. I played countless multi player sessions on Halo. When Halo 2 came out, I played the campaign mode until my friends and I knew every step and every mission. After that, we took our skills online and fought the weakest and the strongest of the community. Endless cycles of custom games, matchmaking, duels, and split-screen are in my imaginary "experience bar".

And now, a few years of Halo 3 to add onto my resume, I sit here with a weird, nerdy pride of knowing that Halo 3 is where my skills truly shine when it comes to shooter games. Please don't take this as me saying I am one of the best or among them. Believe me, there are players much better than me and they'll prove it. But among all the people I've personally played and alot of people online, I am very good when I'm playing my A-game.

I like to think that playing Halo is like playing chess. A great player will not just shoot at whoever he sees; he'll trap them--eliminate all the enemy's possibilities and execute. It's truly an art form in disguise. But not everyone sees it as this. No, especially in other shooters where whoever is in the better position with the faster trigger finger is the winner. Very realistic, I'm sure, but I would rather have strategy over pure instinct any day.

So, the Science of Halo 3;knowing which combination of guns works the best for you and applying that in combat. Understanding how to use each weapon to your advantage in any situation and utilizing gut instinct when aiming. Like I said, it's an art form. What I'm about to share is just my personal preference and it should be taken in as just one way of playing.

To start, I will talk about the guns. But also the combination of guns you will carry throughout the fight. The different combinations are what ultimately determine your play-style and strategy. A BR and sniper combo is usually my favorite because I will be able to kill efficiently at long range and still take care of enemies charging me. Some people enjoy a shottie and sniper combo. But the problem with that is what happens when you are engaged in a medium-ranged fight? And not only that, bother shotgun and sniper are what I call "extreme" guns. You must be very close or very far for each of them, limiting your strategy rather than strengthening it.

Pick your guns correctly. If you stumble upon a BR, switch it out with your inferior gun or the gun that has a very low amount of ammo. Like alot of aspects of this game, it is very situational. If you are to take anything from this article, it is to always pick your combination of guns wisely. My recommendations are either smg/energy rifle, br/sniper, br/shottie, assault rifle/br, br/brute shot, and any other strategic combos that will cover different ranges of combat.

Now let's talk about the nitty gritty. Let's talk about the actual situations you find yourself playing Halo. What do you do when you're against a sniper? Simple, grab a BR and keep the pressure on him. Keep shooting so that he can not zoom in and take cover when you need to reload. It's very easy to get overwhelmed by a sniper, so always stick close to cover.

Another simple, yet tactical thing players tend to do is dual-wield. Two smg's can make short work of anyone when used properly. And if you're caught off-guard by it, you must react fast. For this, resort to no-scoping with a sniper, use your shottie and melee right after, or grenades--especially stickies. I highly recommend learning how to do perform all three tasks amazingly. Practice makes perfect. This includes Halo.

When going up against a shotgun? It's about timing, honestly. It is possible to beat someone in close quarters when they have a shottie. Because of the nature of the gun, there will always be a short period of time between shots that you can sneak in and execute the enemy . But like fighting a dual-wielder, I suggest using sticky grenades. If you have no grenades, shoot with any gun you have and right after he shoots, melee him to bring him down. You have the right to tbag him when it's over. He deserves it.

Against needler? This is easy and all you have to do is strafe with the shooter. Now, unless he is a veteran as well, his bullets will merely trail you all the while you have been shooting him with an assault rifle or some other gun. But don't underestimate a needler. Once a few bullets trail you and cling to your armor, it's over because that means he's got you in his sights. Needlers become just as deadly as a headshot or rocket launcher.

Oh, and dealing with a rocket launcher. With the shotgun, it's all about timing. You really are at the disadvantage, but it is not impossible to beat someone who has a rocket launcher. Just remember to stay away from walls, time your jumps just right to neutralize his shots, and keep the pressure on him. I suggest using frag grenades to throw him off balance and to take off a huge amount of his health away. He will crumble before a weaker gun like an smg.

Going up against a battle rifle? This is one of more common fights and the best example of true player versus player action. What it comes down to is who is more accurate and who can utilize the world around him to his advantage. But there's nothing else to say but, "headshots only. Or else you lose." It's really not entirely your fault though, so don't worry. If you remember that if you're the one who starts out with the BR, you will always have the advantage.

Going up against a sword is also a little tricky at times. They are the one-hit wonders of this game and they should be respected. If you are brave, no-scope with a sniper or charge in with the shotgun. In my experience, shotgun will always trump sword; as long as you know what you're doing. If you cant kill him before he kills you though, stick him with a grenade. You will always have the final say if that happens. =]

Gravity Hammer. Even better than going up against the sword. Unexperienced players with hammers will only push back the enemy. Now if they push enemies off the map (on purpose), they know how to play. But the hammer is like the rocket launcher, it is best to use it against groups of enemies. But, of course, it does have the charge effect like the sword to guarantee a kill, so keep that in mind. When fighting against one, the best defense is distance. Same goes for the sword.

When going up against a bombardment of grenades or just single throws--JUMP! Jump as soon as you see a furry blue ball on the ground or if you hear the click of a frag. Jump and your enemy will think you are hacking. One of the beauties of Halo versus other shooters is you are not limited to realism. Bungie did a wonderful job at giving the players many advantages in combat, allowing us to explore different strategies other than hide and shoot or run and gun.

Also, while playing, do yourself a favor and never camp or sneak around the map. If you want to be the mvp of a match or keep a consistent Kill/Death ratio, do not be a pansie and just hide. You must run, shoot, take shots, take cover, regenerate health and search and destroy. But don't worry, I've already proven that the better shooters will always be the ones who are taking action in a match. Win or lose, it's all about trying.

Know when to reload and switch guns. I've seen many players who run into a fight with only half a mag full of bullets. You are weakening yourself, giving the advantage to the enemy. A wise player will always reload when he has killed someone or when he is by himself during the fight.

Here's a couple gameplay tips that I've learned through my years of playing Halo:

-With the sniper/Br combo, just shoot an enemy one time and finish him off with a quick headshot from your br. You might wonder why not just finish him with the sniper. Well, if you can, that is always first priority. But that is not always the option. Treat this method of killing as a modified noob combo from halo 2. The snipe shot will destroy his shield and a quick headshot with the br will get you the kill. It doesn't matter where you shoot him with the sniper, as long as it hits.

-Same as above, except replace the sniper with a grenade or the energy drainer. Once the grenade or energy drainer saps the shield, take him out with the quickness with a BR headshot. And trust me, you will gain prestige with these types of kills. Teach your enemies who's daddy.

Another trademark about the Halo series is the different way to play these matches. I always play Team Slayer, but that doesn't mean I stick to the group. I actually almost never fight around my team. I usually go for a br and possibly the sniper and flank the enemy. If it's not that type of map, I usually go around with a search and destroy tactic--adapting to the situation and dominating enemies one by one or taking them out in groups with grenades and my BR.

But playing as a team is also very advantageous. There is always power in numbers, for as long as you do work as a team. Keep this in mind though: if you outnumber your enemy, by math, you should have the advantage. But because you outnumber them, they also have the opportunity to gain more kills than you can. Hence, they also have an advantage in that you can only kill so many of them in a given period of time versus them being able to kill all five of you. The better players will always win, no matter if it's 3 v 5 or even 2 v 5. Back in Halo 2, I used to practice taking on 3 people at once in custom games. It improved my gameplay tremendously.

Most of all, have fun and appreciate your kills. Don't be a D-bag and tbag every dead body on the map. Enemies can still show respect. Don't be immature and stupid. The reason why I stopped playing is because of the horrible community Halo 3 has been corrupted by. There are countless videos to show you perfect examples of what I'm talking about. Just visit youtube and you'll see.

In nature, Halo is simpler than many other shooter games of today. But that's what makes Halo such a great game. It takes away alot of factors that hinder gameplay and it leaves you with a perfectly carved work of art. Despite of that fact, because of Halo's simplicity, it is subject to younger and immature players. And like I've always believed about online games, the community will always determine the game's success and its lifespan.